Timber Creek Student Finalist in FDU Business Idea Competition

A Timber Creek student is a finalist in the Fairleigh Dickinson University Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurship's 2012 Business Idea Competition for New Jersey high school students.

Keanu Taylor was recognized as a finalist during an awards ceremony at the school's Madison campus last month.

Taylor's idea? An anonymous, online support center for teens.

Called "My Best Friend—The Virtual Therapist," Taylor's business idea is "a website (for) customers to talk to an expert about anything they want through phone calls, online chatting, and many other mobile/virtual ways. The customers would visit the website whenever they are feeling depressed or just in need of someone to talk to. ... The expert’s job is to guide the customer in getting help," according to FDU.

Taylor came up with the idea during a school presentation about bullying in which the speaker indicated most people who are bullied never tell anyone about the abuse.

The award ceremony was held on March 30 in Lenfell Hall, located in the Mansion on FDU's College at Florham. Prizes were awarded to the finalists and semifinalists in the northern, central, and southern regions of New Jersey as judged by various faculty members.

Part of FDU's Silberman College of Business since 1989, the mission of the Rothman Institute for Entrepreneurship is to teach and support entrepreneurship and innovation in the academic, business and nonprofit communities.